Baragwanath Meets with Lebanese Officials in Beirut

President of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon Sir David Baragwanath held separate talks on Monday with President Michel Suleiman and caretaker PM Najib Miqati.

According to informed sources who spoke on condition of anonymity, the visit comes hand in hand with the preparations to launch the work of the tribunal and with the media leaks that have threatened the witnesses in ex-Premier Rafik Hariri's assassination case in a bid to scare them off.

The STL condemned last week the latest attempt to interfere with the proper administration of justice by publishing a list of alleged witnesses and potentially endangering the lives of Lebanese citizens.

The website of al-Mustaqbal newspaper, which is owned by Hariri's family, was hacked last Tuesday and its front page was replaced with the alleged names of the “secret witnesses in the STL” by a group calling itself “Journalists for the Truth.”

The STL confirmed that it has requested the assistance of “Lebanese authorities and others in this matter so that appropriate measures may be taken if necessary.”